Shoei: The Evolution of Perfection

Shoei was originally founded in 1954 as Kamata Polyester Co., which mainly produced construction safety helmets. The founder, Eitaro Kamata, was born in Tokyo. His family operated a traditional Japanese restaurant, Edogin, and Kamata Ryokan inn near Shimbashi Station. Honda Motor Co. was located in Hamamatsu and the founder, Soichiro Honda along with test rider Kiyoshi Kawashima, were regulars at the inn, as it was conveniently located on their path to and from the capital. Eitaro became acquainted with Kawashima, who was known for arriving on motorcycles in a stylishly painted helmet. Eitaro grew fascinated with the idea of designing helmets, and this soon blossomed into a career for Eitaro. He left the family business, started a helmet factory, and by 1960, Shoei’s Tokyo factory produced the first helmets to meet the Japanese Industrial Standard.

The brand name ‘Shoei’ has no translation, but instead is a mash up of sho- Showa (the dynasty in which the brand was founded) and -ei, from the founder’s name (Eitaro). Shoei was one of the first helmet manufacturers to produce lightweight carbon fiber helmets, back in the mid-1970s.

Shoei SR-1, 1963 | Photo Credit: Shoei Europe

Honda Co. selected Shoei’s helmets as their ‘genuine’ helmets in 1965, as a part of a new line of Honda Parts and Accessories products. This boosted their popularity and availability, and initiated a global expansion of the Shoei brand. In 1968, the Shoei Safety Helmet Corporation was established in the US, with several other establishments worldwide, including Ibaraki, Iwate, France, Germany, Italy, and Thailand. Though their success knows no boundaries, Shoei has remained a relatively small company to scale - roughly 800 employees worldwide. The main headquarters are still located in Japan, where all design and manufacturing takes place, though they have distribution centers worldwide.

Shoei Factory in Ibaraki, Japan | Photo Credit: Shoei Europe

The GRV helmet was Shoei’s first helmet to use carbon fiber and Kevlar, created the first coverless shield system, and the Dual Liner Ventilation system. The X-Spirit, a flagship product for Shoei, premiered in 2003 and was promoted as ‘the most advanced helmet in the world’. That same year, it won MCN’s Product of the Year award (2003, clothing category). After further development, the RF-1000 (XR-1000 in Europe) was released in 2004, followed by the X-Eleven. In autumn of 2010, the QWEST was released. These helmets are the ancestors of the current RF-1200, X-14, and RAID II models.

Shoei was affected by the cataclysmic earthquake that shook Japan in 2011. The Iwate and Ibaraki factories both were damaged, and had to be partially restored, and cost the company around 63 million yen (roughly $438,700USD in 2025 conversion rates).